West Seattle businesses: ‘The Cask is open,’ owners remind you
The Cask Old World Ale and Wine House in the Admiral District wants you to know it’s open, despite apparent rumors to the contrary. Co-owner Dee asked us to share this photo and note:
For those who are interested in the current status of The Cask: The Cask is open and running full steam ahead. Although the owners ( Shon & Dee ) do have the Cask for sale and are in the process of transitioning to Daytona Beach, Florida, to open a similar venture there, the business is and will continue to grow and maintain its place in the Admiral community. Thank you for your support and please continue to join us at The Cask. For information on our weekly events or to contact us for more details, please call or email us at 206.650.2448, s.g.m@comcast.net. Website: thecaskseattle.com, Facebook: TheCaskSeattle
Cheers!
Washington Beer Blog first reported the sale listing a month ago, but it has NOT been closed at any point.
Update on West Seattle Coffee House’s grand opening tomorrow
Getting ready tonight for the new drive-through West Seattle Coffee House‘s grand opening tomorrow (Friday), that’s Helen and owner Janel. A few more things have happened since our Monday report about the impending opening of the stand at Hans VW Repair (35th/Graham): They’ve decided on Little Rae’s as their bakery provider, and will have some wheat- and gluten-free treats too. They’ll use Ghirardelli chocolate. “And REAL espresso milkshakes!” Helen pointed out. Other key points we noted earlier – Zoka is the coffee, and they have a credit-card machine. Though they plan to start off with their regular weekday schedule, 6:30 am-5:30 pm, don’t make a special trip right at 6:30 – there’s one small hitch for tomorrow only, according to Janel; the city is doing some work in the area overnight tonight, and will be cutting their power for a while, possibly until as late as 8 am. But she’s hoping they’ll finish early, so if you’re driving by anyway, look for the OPEN sign, and if you don’t see it, check back later.
A Terrible Beauty, West Seattle: Preview tonight, open tomorrow
(Photos by Katie Meyer for WSB)
The last of four new businesses to open in the past two months in the southeast corner of the heart of The Junction is ALMOST open. Tonight was the invitation-only preview party for the much-anticipated West Seattle expansion of Renton-headquartered Irish restaurant/pub A Terrible Beauty. (As reported here a week ago, tomorrow is the official opening.) We have photos from WSB contributor Katie Meyer – starting above with the bar, topped by clocks showing the time in Seattle, Belfast, and New York. More photos after the jump:Read More
More about new West Seattle liquor store, including opening date
After finding a few tidbits about the new West Seattle Junction liquor store in a state news release early today (here’s our resulting story), we took a few followup questions to the Liquor Control Board. First answer: The opening date IS already set: August 31st. LCB spokesperson Brian Smith says it’ll be an overnight transition – the old store in The Junction will close at its usual time August 30th, and the new one will open the next day (8/31 is a Wednesday). He also confirms the new store at Capco Plaza (41st/Alaska) will be one of the 30 stores in an experimental liquor-tasting program – the only location they know for sure will be part of the experiment. (The program was mentioned in the earlier news release, so we asked.)
Last but not least, he says there will NOT be a third (contract) liquor store in the Admiral area – we had reported in December that they were advertising for proposals. According to Smith, “Unfortunately we were unable to find an arrangement that met our needs and those of a potential contract store manager. Contract store managers are paid on commission. There were difficulties finding the right Admiral-area location with lease costs that fit the contract store model. Some locations were also too close to schools.”
‘Happy Löwman Bräu Day!’ Brew’s debut, report #2
(Our first round of photos from the communitywide LB debut is here)
Story by Stephanie Chacharon
Photos by Christina Chacharon
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
It was really only a matter of time before West Seattle had its own branded beer. Enter Löwman Bräu, a summery Kölsch-style beer that unapologetically boasts: “It’s a West Seattle thing, you wouldn’t understand.”
LB is the hops-filled lovechild of Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) proprietor Jeff Gilbert and master brewer Alejandro Brown of White Center’s Big Al Brewing (both pictured below with Feedback co-owner Matt Johnson). To celebrate the release of this local legend-in-the-making, ten neighborhood bars tapped their kegs at 7 pm Wednesday night — serving up frosty pints that both taste good and do good.
The Feedback Lounge was filled with neighbors bellied up to a pint (or two) of Löwman Bräu, many wearing the beer’s signature t-shirt, created by Modern Dog Design. Proprietor and LB-instigator Jeff greeted guests with a handshake or a cheerily raised glass, calling “Happy Löwman Bräu day!” to the steady crowd in front of the T-shirt table.
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Löwman Bräu launch, report #1: Benefit brew debuts
(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
Sure, it was an excuse to drink a brand-new beer. But tonight’s Löwman Bräu launch was about fundraising, too. With so many venues participating, and donating part of the proceeds from this new West Seattle brew, we had two crews out checking in with the events – here’s the first round of photos, from WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen. Top photo, that’s The Bridge co-owner Trevor Garand with dog rescuer Ginger and crew – The Bridge’s beneficiaries are canine charities including hers. Heading south from there, Locöl chose Roxhill Elementary, which had a contingent in a booth:
Behind the bar at Locöl was Shane, who said, “Come to Locöl, drink for kids!”
On Ellen went to White Center, where Big Al Brewing brewed Löwman Bräu – and is donating to the White Center Food Bank, which had a team out on Big Al’s patio (executive director Rick Jump included):
Full Tilt Ice Cream also is benefiting WC Food Bank with its Löwman Bräu sales – and with matching donations from its 3rd-birthday ice-cream sales next Monday, as noted here. One more WC stop – we found Jesse and Aaron at Company, which chose WestSide Baby (as did Shadowland in West Seattle):
Our north/center crew will check in later, including the scoop from Löwman Bräu central at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor). The venues listed here all got an initial shipment of the new brew, so even if you didn’t make it out tonight, ask for it tomorrow and beyond!
Update: See who’ll benefit from Löwman Bräu beer launch
The premiere party for “West Seattle’s own beer,” Löwman Bräu, is 7 pm tomorrow night at venues around West Seattle and White Center – and since ringleader Jeff Gilbert of Feedback Lounge had noted that a percentage of LB sales will benefit local organizations, he’s just sent word of which nonprofits will benefit from sales at which venues:
THE BRIDGE: Dogs For Dogs
MISSION: Summer Concerts at Hiawatha
SHADOWLAND and COMPANY: WestSide Baby
WEST 5: Southwest Seattle Historical Society/Log House Museum
LOCOL: Roxhill Elementary
FEEDBACK LOUNGE: West Seattle Helpline
EASY STREET: West Seattle Food Bank
BIG AL BREWING: White Center Food Bank
Miss the original story about Löwman Bräu? Check it out here – and read more on the official LB page on The Feedback’s website.
West Seattle wine: South Seattle CC event; Avalon dinner
Two notes for wine fans: South Seattle Community College has just announced its next Northwest Wine Academy wine-release event, and it’s a three-day party, noon-6 pm each day, this Thursday-Saturday, with six new wines available for tasting on Thursday, alumni wines featured for sampling during the second half of Friday’s session, and on Saturday, a wine-barrel-toasting demo (noon-3) followed by a food/wine pairing event featuring teams from SSCC’s renowned culinary program. SSCC is at 6000 16th SW … This Thursday is the deadline for reservations to be part of Avalon‘s next wine dinner (Monday 6/13) – and Avalon’s proprietors tell us a few tickets remain. The featured winery is Forgeron Cellars from Walla Walla; the wines and courses are listed here. Avalon’s contact info is on its website.
Successful 1st weekend for West Seattle’s new Cairdeas Winery tasting room
Big smiles from Cairdeas Winery owners Charlie and Lacey Lybecker when we stopped by their new West Seattle tasting room at mid-afternoon: Grand-opening weekend was going well, despite the lack of sunshine to bring a massive flow of traffic past their Harbor Avenue front door (southernmost street-level storefront at ActivSpace, just north of the West Seattle Bridge). The wines they’re pouring/selling now are all West Seattle-made, from their first winery on Delridge; they’ve since moved home base to Bryn Mawr, but their fondness for West Seattle led them to launch their tasting room here.
If you missed their opening weekend, catch them next weekend and future Saturdays-Sundays, noon-5 pm Saturdays and Sundays. (Wondering about the name? As explained online, it’s pronounced “car-dess” and: “Cairdeas is an ancient Gaelic word meaning friendship, goodwill or alliance. We believe in all three.”)
Announcing Löwman Bräu: ‘We think West Seattle is so cool, it deserves its own beverage’
Just announced by Jeff Gilbert of Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) – West Seattle’s very own beer, Löwman Bräu, is ready for its closeup:
Löwman Bräu was conceived and named in 2010 by the owners of The Feedback Lounge in West Seattle’s Morgan Junction. Over the course of last year, we modified our concept, contacted master brewer Alejandro Brown over at the way cool Big Al Brewing in White Center, and invited some of our fellow bar/restaurant owners together to present a local beer that’s not only West Seattle-centric in its name (you’ve heard of our locally famous Lowman Beach, yes?), but is designed to support our totally kick-ass neighborhood and community.
We each do this by pledging a percentage of every pint sold during Löwman Bräu’s limited summer run to West Seattle-only charities. So yeah, another excellent reason to drink this awesome beer!
The Feedback Lounge, along with our friends at West 5, Shadowland, Mission, Easy Street Records, The Bridge, Locöl, and of course, Big Al Brewing, is introducing Löwman Bräu to the entire West Seattle community, all on the same night in each of our establishments.
Wednesday, June 15, 7 pm, all the participating venues will hold a 21 & older premiere party for Löwman Bräu, so whichever place is your hangout, we got you covered.
Löwman Bräu will be sold as “pint pours from kegs,” only in West Seattle/White Center/Georgetown, and each participating venue will determine a percentage of the proceeds to go to charity. There will be West Seattle-exclusive seasonal beers too – find out about them, and the full scoop on Löwman Bräu, from this page on The Feedback’s website.
(SIDE NOTE: If you haven’t heard, this is Washington Beer Week; find all the latest updates at West Seattle-headquartered Washington Beer Blog.)
Taste of West Seattle fills Hall at Fauntleroy with flavor, generosity
For the hundreds who came to tonight’s Taste of West Seattle, it provided a chance to sample dozens of food and beverage providers from around WS/White Center. But the photo above is what it was really about – raising money so the West Seattle Helpline can keep offering a lifeline to people in need. Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) presented a $5,000 check to outgoing Helpline executive director Anna Fern (she’s retiring) and her team – and they’re thrilled; it was just a few days ago they put out an emergency challenge to help cover unexpected expenses. Now, on to the sightings, starting with the Full Tilt Ice Cream family:
That’s Justin Cline, Ann Magyar, and son. More sightings – including first-time appearances for some of our area’s newest eating/drinking spots – ahead:Read More
OutWest owners announce LGBT-friendly plans: ‘A safe place’
By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The owners of OutWest – the new bar in the works for the former Westside Pharmacy building at California/Brandon, south of West Seattle Nursery, first reported here last December – are finally ready to discuss details.
After months of working through permitting processes, Bob Lunke and business partner Chad Gabelein are announcing their plans for OutWest Bar to be a LGBT-community-friendly establishment. We reported its name back in February, but even then they weren’t ready to comment beyond saying they were working on a “small, comfortable neighborhood (establishment).”
OutWest Bar will include a full kitchen, open for dinner and initially serving appetizers and entrees such as burgers and Caesar salad. They plan to adapt the menu to the clientele’s tastes as they go.
The owners are both West Seattle residents who love it here.
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First-ever West Seattle Starbucks getting a face lift, and then some
From the just-in-case-you-were-wondering-too files: After a few notes asking if we know what Starbucks is doing with the remodel of its original West Seattle store, we stopped by for a photo today and e-mailed Starbucks PR, which answered our questions as follows:
Our store at 4101 SW Admiral Way is getting both an interior and external refresh. When work is finished, customers will see an expanded patio area with bench and table seating, as well as a new modern awning to replace the previous canvas version.
The interior of the store will also be updated and will feature a wood-paneled espresso bar, new furniture, a remodeled restroom and a new mural on the North wall. We think it’s going to be gorgeous and can’t wait for West Seattle to see the finished product when work is complete at the end of the month.
Remodeling is standard course of business for Starbucks stores and typically done on a regular basis in order to provide the best experience to customers. There are no other remodels in the West Seattle area to announce at this time.
40 wineries join for sold-out FareStart fundraiser in West Seattle
Story and photos by Stephanie Chacharon
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Wine enthusiasts and FareStart supporters filled Salty’s on Alki last night for the 10th annual “Sexy Syrah” benefit. The lineup of more than 40 Northwest wineries included West Seattle-operated McCrea Cellars, represented by Bob Neel, operations manager and chief engineer (top photo).
The sold-out event, produced by sommeliers David LeClaire of Seattle Uncorked and Tim O’Brien of Salty’s, is a popular benefit for FareStart, a local organization devoted to training and placing homeless and disadvantaged people in the culinary field (among them, the late Swinery co-owner Joseph Brewer):Read More
West Seattle restaurants: Opening night for El Chupacabra on Alki
The clouds have slid in, but the earlier sunshine drew enough of a crowd to Alki tonight to make it look a little bit like almost-summer. And the newest deck open for food and drink is the balloon-festooned El Chupacabra Mexican restaurant and bar, site of the former Casa Feliz, beneath Siam Pura, east of Homefront. This is the second location for El Chupacabra, a quirky hit on Phinney Ridge. Owner Aaron Wright is on Alki tonight:
Inside, following up on our preview from earlier this week, a little more of the distinctive decor:
And what would any place named after a mythical creature be without a few skeletons on the shelves?
You can find menu – including plenty of vegetarian/vegan options, as Wright promised when we first talked to him in January – and hours information on El Chupacabra’s Facebook page.
Spirited Junction fundraiser #2: Beer Church @ West 5
(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
And the second spirited Friday night fundraiser in The Junction – At West 5, the West Seattle-based Beer Church released its new batch of Pale Ale, brewed with Schooner Exact Brewing. Because fundraising is as embedded in Beer Church’s DNA as the beer itself, there is of course a beneficiary – Pints for Prostates, described on the Beer Church website as “a grassroots campaign to increase awareness among men about the need for regular health screenings and PSA testing.” At the event, right to left, Beer Church’s Kendall Jones and Kim Sharpe-Jones and “members” Dave Hutchinson and Matt McClung:
WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen reports that Beer Church Pale Ale 2 – featuring (updated) FOUR different hops and FOUR different malts – was distributed to Beveridge Place Pub and Elliott Bay Brewing as well as to West 5 (very limited quantity, so hurry!) Donated ingredients, labor and expertise came from not only Schooner Exact but also Larry’s Brewing Supply, Yakima Chief Inc. and Snipes Mountain Brewing.
Spirited Junction fundraiser #1: Bin 41’s anniversary party
(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
Their official first anniversary – as noted here – was two weeks back, but tonight was the night the owners of Bin 41 wine shop in The Junction set aside for the party, and they welcomed plenty of guests. Bin 41 owners T. Frick and Jon McNamara also donated the night’s $5 tasting fee – as they have done the past several tastings – to Japan quake/tsunami relief.
Guest winemakers tonight were from West Seattle – from left in the photo above, winemaker Chris Gorman, Bin 41’s Jon McNamara, winemaker Darby English, Bin 41’s T. Frick McNamara. Surprises were promised – and those turned out to include raffles, with prizes including the Argentinian wine boxes Jon holds below:
The guest winemakers were pouring Cabernets and Syrahs, WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen reports: Gorman poured his “Pixie,” 100% Syrah, and “Zachary’s Ladder,” which is a Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petit Verdot mix, named after his son. Darby poured from his original line, but his main feature was an unveiling of his new line “Live Wire”; he poured a Cabernet Franc and a Syrah from Live Wire.
West Seattle coffee: Bird on a Wire’s Admiral store suddenly closed
ORIGINAL 3:04 PM REPORT: In the Admiral storefront at 2604 California SW, Bird on a Wire Espresso is suddenly closed – just 4 months after the popular Westwood shop expanded there, first to serve coffee in tandem with Heavenly Pastry (which was baking in the back of the same space), then going it alone when Heavenly completely pulled out in January. We received two messages about the closure this afternoon, and here’s what we can tell you: We went to Bird on a Wire’s original (and still open) SW Henderson location, where owner Heidi Herr told us she wasn’t ready to comment yet. Then we went to the Admiral storefront, where we found only the empty windows seen in the photo above. A reader who e-mailed us about this said there had been a note on the door this morning saying the closure was as of 5 pm yesterday and mentioning something about a lease; however, when we checked about an hour ago, there was no note in sight. So far we do NOT know if this is a permanent or temporary closure; if we get additional information, we’ll add it here. (Again, Bird on a Wire remains OPEN at its Westwood location at 3509 SW Henderson.)
ADDED 4:18 PM: Just e-mailed by Bird on a Wire’s owner:
Essentially, due to the original intent for the Bird/Heavenly venture obviously changing (their decision to shut down completely), and then given the impact of the Safeway development, I was concerned and did not want to risk the health and vitality of the Original Bird (at SW Henderson St). I saw no improvements on the horizon, so I made the decision to fly back South.
We will miss the new friends we made in the Admiral ‘hood and hope to see our new “peeps” at our other shop when life or business takes them in that Southernly direction.
And YES the Bird is alive and well at 3509 SW Henderson St! We will even be extending our hours soon-stay tuned!
Regards,
Heidi Herr
www.birdonawireespresso.com
Opening night for new West Seattle hangout The Bridge: Snow? So?
(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
You still have a few hours to be part of opening night at The Bridge, the new hangout/bar/eatery at 4439 35th SW (map), not far from the Fauntleroy entrance to its namesake. WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen visited shortly after The Bridge officially opened its doors and started to pour – 4 pm today. Of course proprietors Rita Dixson and Trevor Garand were greeting their first customers:
This day/night will be memorable for them for more than the obvious reason – for one, as mentioned in our preview last week, today is also Rita’s birthday. And then – there was the snow shower that moved through the area right around opening time – Trevor was a good sport about posing on The Bridge’s 1,800-square-foot patio:
Inside, the big brick fireplace was waiting to warm everyone up:
The Bridge is online here, and on Facebook here. P.S. They tell us they’re planning on Wednesday karaoke. Per their FB page, they’re opening at 4 pm weekdays, 1 pm weekends.
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